


Dinner Date

by KirkwallsChamp



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Tropes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2018-11-08 00:44:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11070495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KirkwallsChamp/pseuds/KirkwallsChamp
Summary: When Janna Cousland invites Alistair out on a date, things aren't quite what they seem-- What could go wrong?





	1. going for it

She couldn't believe it-- one class together where he'd raised his hand and made the worst joke she'd ever heard with a shit eating grin on his face, and she'd just went for it. Right after class, as he headed out the door toward the library, she bounced up over to him-- no reservations, no shame-- and asked, "Hey, what are you doing tonight?"

His bright amber eyes darted down his sharp nose at her when he whirled around in surprise, the freckled skin on his brow crinkling slightly as he tried to process what just happened, "I, what? well-- eating dinner?"

She chuckled, guiding the front of her black, bobbed hair behind her ear and attempted to sound flirtatious.

"So funny... Are you eating alone then, handsome?" Her hand brushed his bicep, gently, but deliberately. She watched as his ears flushed slightly in response.

"I-- I'm sorry, who are you? Did Duncan put you up to this?"

"Duncan...?"

"Duncan-- he's a professor here-- he taught that class, and I know him, which was why I--"

"No one put me up to it," She clarified, a little smirk gracing her dark stained lips, "I saw that display you put on at the end of class, and, well? I simply liked it, and decided to go for it. What can I say? I'm a woman of action."

"You were there?" He seemed to gulp, before replying not quite enough under his breath, "You'd think I would have remembered seeing someone like you in there--"

"Oh! You charmer," She tapped his shoulder playfully, "So, how about you and I get to know each other, over dinner? Since that seems to be what you have going on tonight."

She winked, pulling a fancy looking pen from her purse and holding out her arm expectantly. When he looked at her quizzically, she sighed, rolling her eyes and took his hand in her own palm facing up. She began to write on his forearm, admiring the way his muscles flexed ever so slightly at the sensation.

"There," She nodded decisively, releasing him and putting the cap back on her pen with a click, "You name the time and the place and I'm all yours, handsome."

He seemed flabberghasted, staring at the phone number she'd given him, silently reading her name before sounding it out, "Janna?"

"Janna Cousland," She smiled, extending her hand for a shake.

"Alistair... Theirin," He quirked an eyebrow, somewhat unsure of what just happened, though he accepted the handshake.

"Call me?" She grinned, tossing her book bag over one shoulder as she turned and walked away.

He watched her slowly disappear from sight before collapsing onto a bench in disbelief.

* * *

 

"Oh Maker, you actually came..."

She was balanced on one foot, the other pressed against the brick wall behind her for support. Her arms were folded tightly to her chest, the low cut v of her black shirt dipping slightly from the action. She peered behind him, to where his bike sat in the parking lot, with a grin.

"And you have a motor cycle... That's just icing on the cake."

He coughed, almost uncomfortably, "I'm confused... Did you not expect me to come? Because I can just turn around, you know, and go now, and we can just pretend this didn't--"

Suddenly her arms were wrapping around his neck, having launched herself off the wall towards him. Her height made it so he hunched slightly towards her, once she had the leverage of surprise, and while standing on her tiptoes, she planted a kiss on his cheek without warning, whispering in his ear, " _This is going to sound absolutely beyond belief, but I need you to go along with whatever I say tonight._ _Please_."

Not necessarily waiting for a reply, she trailed kisses to his lips through the rough stubble on his chin. Her tongue attempting to coax his mouth open ever so slightly, when a throat cleared uncomfortably behind them.

"Oh! Uncle Rendon, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," She fell back to the flats of her feet, miming at wiping away any traces of saliva that may have gotten out of hand, "Alistair, _honey_ , this is my Uncle, Rendon Howe. I told you about him on our first date, remember?"

Alistair was crimson at this point, and mumbled something along the lines of, "Yeah-- Sure, sure..."

"Oh-- Sorry, you have a little something, right..." Janna's eyes fell to his lips, which she blotted carefully with her thumb, removing a smear of her lipstick with relative ease, "There."

Howe cleared his throat again, "Are we going in, or did you plan on simply making yourselves the <free entertainment> for the evening?"

"Uncle!" Janna spit sharply, "What a horrible thing to say!"

She laced her fingers deftly through Alistair's as Rendon continued to gripe, leaning into him slightly. She felt him tense slightly, but with her other hand she rubbed a small circle into his back, wordlessly begging him to relax.

"Be that as it may," She interjected as Howe finished his tirade, "We <do> have a reservation to get to. Unless <you'd> prefer to make us the <free entertainment> for  
the evening."

"I don't appreciate that snide tone, young lady--"

"And I don't appreciate you butting into my life, but here we are," she snapped back, "So lets go to dinner so you can get to know my boyfriend, and get back to our separate lives, alright?"

Alistair's mind was reeling at this point-- _boyfriend? reservations? her uncle? weren't things happening just a little bit fast here? and that kiss, in front of the_ _world and the Maker--_

"Alistair? Honey?"

Her quiet prompt brought him back, "Let's go on in, okay?"

_please_.

There was a hint of begging in her voice. He nodded silently, allowing her to guide him into the restaurant and out of the twilight of the evening.

They were escorted to their table quickly, and as they walked over, Alistair had a chance to look around the place; it was small, with modest decorations and a few nondescript members of waitstaff shuffled around taking orders and living out their lives as usual. No one else seemed shocked by the scenario-- only he felt dazed and confused, it seemed.

They sat down and ordered drinks, Alistair starting with water while Howe ordered a beer, and Cousland a vodka tonic. It was then that Howe announced he was going to step out for a moment, as he had a business call to make, and left them alone.

Janna cast a nervous glance across the table at Alistair, waiting for him to respond, and respond he did.

"What the _hell_ was all that?!" His voice came out as a hissed whisper.

"I know-- I know, I'm sorry, this is crazy, but I needed help and everyone else I asked told me it was too weird, so I got desperate, and--"

"I-- Desperate?! So what, you just--"

"Look," She hushed him a moment, before they started to make a scene, "I wasn't lying, I _did_ think you were cute, and decided to just go for it. But, I'm sorry I wasn't _completely_ telling the truth about _why_ I asked you out here tonight. Okay? Please-- don't be mad, and _please,_ don't leave me alone with him. I _promise_ I will tell you the truth and explain everything just as soon as I can, alright?"

Glancing around, she noticed Rendon Howe returning to them, coming just back into their sight-line, giving her just enough time to scoop up his hand with hers, rubbing her thumb gently down his knuckles and throwing on her best enamored gaze.

"The damn client wouldn't pick up," Rendon announced, seating himself and giving the menu a glance while scoffing to himself, "Is there anything even remotely edible on this menu?"

"Uncle, you're being rude again," Janna said flatly, "Alistair and I happen to like this restaurant. Don't we, _honey_?"

"Sure," Alistair nodded, "After all, I picked it, didn't I?"

"Yes, and I'm sure with your impeccable taste, we can't go wrong," Rendon responded dryly, without looking up.

"And just what's _that_ supposed to mean?" Alistair asked, noting the way Rendon's eyes flashed up to meet his with the call-out.

"Well, you _are_ dating my good-for-nothing niece, are you not? She doesn't always seem to attract people with the most... _conventional_ taste."

"Who's to say what's conventional?" Janna interjected harshly, "Uncle, many would say that _your_ structured lifestyle is more unconventional than my free spirited one!"

"I'm simply reminding you, Janna, that your father _asked_ me to make sure you stayed on a straight and narrow path,"

"A path full of boring rules that either drove me off the edge or gets me stuck in a loveless marriage?" She shot back venomously.

"Now, that's not fair-- I'm trying to do what's best for you, and--"

"With all due respect sir, she seems like a grown woman, and it's fairly clear she can make her own decisions," Alistair joined the argument before he realized what was happening.

"Oh? _Seems like a grown woman_ , what an odd statement to make about one's _girlfriend_ \-- And how old are you anyway, young man-- In your early twenties? You're barely an adult yourself! How could you _possibly_  know what decisions are the right ones?"

"That's what life is, Uncle! Making your own path and finding out whether or not the decisions you've made are right! they don't have to be right the first time, that's how you learn!"

"I'm sorry, I don't want to interrupt, but are y'all ready to order?"

Even the waitress looked uncomfortable with her interrupting question, but it was clear she wasn't going to go away without an answer. Rendon sighed, putting the menu down and rubbing his nose between his thumb and forefinger in agitation, "I believe I've lost my appetite."

"Uncle, come on now-- give this place a chance," Janna attempted to chide, "I'll have the, uh--"

Alistair took over at this point, "She'll take the burger and truffle fries, and I'll have the barbecue sandwich with cheese fries, extra cheese-- and he'll take the bratwurst with a side salad... Ranch okay for the dressing?"

Both Rendon and Janna ogled him for a moment as the waitress collected their menus, refilled his water, and stepped away at last.

"That was--"

"Excuse me, but what gives you the right--"

"--bold of you," Janna's thought jumbled with Howe's indignation, her fingers sliding up his knuckles once again. He swallowed down a bundle of nerves in his throat to answer, "I picked the restaurant, and I know what's good here. Will you trust me?"

"Okay," Janna nodded, while Howe fell into stubborn silence.

  
The meal continued awkwardly for another hour or so, as Rendon Howe nursed his food sullenly and continued to argue tersely with Janna about things Alistair had no comprehension of. At last, when the check came, Rendon cleared his throat one last time.

"I still can't believe you'd rather be with someone like-- _him_ \-- than someone like my Nathaniel," his motioning to Alistair as if he was a prop and not a person did little for Alistair's already low approval of the man, "Please, just give him one more chance, and I--"

"Uncle, this is extremely rude-- I told you, I'm dating Alistair! How could you say something like that in front of my boyfriend?!"

"No, Janna, you don't have to defend me, it's obvious that--"

Janna flashed an angry look at Alistair, pausing him midsentence as she cut in, "Uncle, you've pushed my hand-- if you must know, we're-- We're getting married!"

The look on Howe's face was priceless, though Alistair hoped the man hadn't seen the way his own jaw had dropped in surprise. He labored subconsciously to reel himself back in as Janna clasped his hand tightly.

"You _what_?"

"You heard me," Janna said stonily, "I said we're getting married."

"And _when_ were you planning on telling _me_ this?!" Rendon roared, getting to his feet in a fit of rage.

"Uncle! Sit down, you're making a scene,"

"I will not sit down! I have had it with your behavior, young lady! _Your parents would have never stood for this_ \-- Mark my words," He growled, grabbing his jacket from the seat behind him in a huff and stomping out of the restaurant, leaving Alistair and Janna alone at last.


	2. hop on in, its about to get crazy

"Sooo...."

"So..."

Alistair sucked his lip between his teeth awkwardly, "Getting married, are we?"

"It was the one thing I could think of to get him to stop asking me to give Nathaniel another chance..."

They'd paid their tab in awkward silence and stepped back outside before either one spoke again; now, here they were standing in the parking lot while Janna rubbed her arms to keep warm.

"So, he was your uncle, but he wanted to set you up with his..."

"His son," she finished, before putting her hands up in warning, "It's not what it sounds like, it's-- it's more complicated than that."

Alistair whistled, "Sound's like it."

"Are you mad?"

"About what?"

"About me _dragging_ you into this fiasco, without warning," she sighed, pulling her hands through her hair nervously.

"I mean, I definitely wouldn't have called that a date, now that I'm looking back at it," he shrugged, "But it seems like that guy put you on the spot... And I'm _kind_ of a softie when it comes to helping people in need. Speaking of which," He peeled his jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders, "You look cold."

"I'm fine," she interjected, though he noted that she didn't remove the jacket.

"So..."

"Hey, can I-- Do you, maybe, want to go somewhere, and talk? I feel worse about dragging you into this stupid thing than I thought I would..."

"I told you, it's fine," He chuckled, stepping over to his bike and putting in the key, turning on the engine, "You don't need to feel bad about it. I'm glad I could have helped."

She watched as he adjusted his radio for a moment, before he glanced back in her direction, "I'm sorry-- Do you have a--"

"I took the bus," She answered, sheepishly, "Next one won't be by for another half hour or so."

"Here," Alistair sighed, a little smile peeking onto his lips as he dug around in the compartment mounted on the back of his bike, before retrieving a second helmet, "I'll drive you home."

"You don't have to do that," She shook her head vigorously, denying until he actually got off the bike and stepped behind her, ushering her towards him.

"Fake or not, I'm not making my date wait another half hour to go home. Come on."

Tentatively, she followed him and climbed up on the seat. He turned the engine on and a little squeak escaped her that she hoped he hadn't heard. She felt a small laugh vibrate from him however that told her all she needed to know.

"You ever ridden on one of these?"

She yelled over the roar of the engine, "No, but there's a first time for everything, right?"

"Put your hands around my waist," He instructed, "And hold on tight."

She could now feel the reverberation of his laughter in his core. _his warm, and muscular yet just a little bit soft core._  Janna pushed the thought down as her face flushed slightly. Her grip started slack but as Alistair began to move the bike, she held onto him tightly, and as they took the first turn she couldn't help but close her eyes. She focused on the way he felt, unchanging, as if this was the most natural and not at all terrifying thing in the world. His breathing was calm, and she could feel his relaxed demeanor leeching into her as they continued on the road. Over the roar of the wind, he asked her, "Where are we going, by the way?"

She wanted to palm her forehead in embarrassment; _it would have made more sense for her to tell him before they'd started moving, wouldn't it?_  But nonetheless, she gave her directions to him and they continued onward.

the night air was cool and calm when they finally arrived; Alistair gently left his motorcycle parked on the street just next to their mailbox as he walked Janna to her door. They paused at the doorway as she unlocked it, before staring back to him.

"Listen, thank you for the most bizarre first date story i'll ever have, bar none, but..."

"Alistair, please-- come inside, and I'll explain everything... Please?"

He pondered for a moment before responding with a grin, "Well, since you said _please_ so many times, how could I refuse? That would just be rude."

And with that, he followed her inside.

The townhouse was small but homey, with a thin layer of dust that seemed to indicate that it's occupants were the kind of folks who were often out and about too much to really care about cleaning. As Janna showed him inside, she made a beeline for the kitchen, shouting back to him, "Want anything to drink?"

He looked around absent-mindedly, responding, "Sure, what have you got?"

"Some long island ice tea, pre-mixed, red and white wine, rum and soda, gin and tonic, and a few fruity spirits, if that's what you're going for."

He gave an awkward half laugh, "You do know I'm driving home, right?"

"So... maybe a decaf coffee, then?" She asked, hoping he could hear the good natured ribbing in her voice.

He did, though by his reply, you wouldn't have known it, "Water is fine."

"Spoil sport," She answered, sticking her tongue out at him.

She returned shortly with two glasses, handing him one while taking an impressive swig out of the other, and at last, they got to talking.

"So I know tonight was nuts, but the reality of it is that my whole life kind of is. You see, my parents passed away when I was about sixteen, and with nowhere else to go, my dad's former best friend took me and my brother, Fergus, in. He was kind of a helicopter parent, in addition to having burnt bridges with my parents through a bad business deal just a few weeks before they died... Plus, he's always just kind of been a big dick in general. Anyway, it drove me crazy, but I stuck it out until I turned eighteen. When I went to college, something happened that made me have some kind of... episode-- anxiety, depression, you name it-- and I had to go... away, for a while. Anyway, when I was released, Uncle Rendon decided that that was enough of a reason for me to come back to living in his house, by his rules so, quote, _no one could get themselves hurt_. But, I got the help I needed, and I'm on medication now, and I don't need to be babysat anymore! You know?"

Alistair followed along quietly, nodding and allowed Janna to finish.

"Anyway, I live with some girls I met in college, and they got me a cushy job, and what can I say? I like my life here. I can afford to take day classes on subjects I missed out on the first time. But, all of the sudden, a couple months ago, Uncle Rendon started coming back around, and telling me he's found a couple nice boys he wants to set me up with-- as if he doesn't trust my judgement to find someone on my own! Plus, all of the guys he's setting me up with anyway are pretty rich boys with trust funds and daddy issues, so he can find a way to keep watch over both me AND the guy he sets me up with... The timing is too weird, I feel like it has to have something to do with the money my parents left me in their will to help cover my wedding, but that's... that's crazy, isn't it?"

"That does seem kind of far-fetched," Alistair said quietly, "But you know the guy better than I do. I gotta ask though, what are you going to do now that he thinks you're getting married?"

She bit her lip for a moment, contemplating all of her options before leaning back with a heavy sigh, "I guess I'll have to tell him the truth, eventually... I mean, it's not like I can just plan a wedding and _not_  invite him to it, and when he figures out we're not really planning anything or setting dates, he's gonna have questions... Besides, I'll be surprised if he doesn't make Nate call me by tomorrow morning to _get the scoop_."

"Sounds like he runs a lot of feedback through his son," Alistair grimaced, "That could be annoying."

"Actually, it's not that bad. Nate and I get along surprisingly well, considering how much his dad wants him and I to bone."

Alistair choked on his water.  
  
"Nate and I work at the same bar," Janna tried to hide her snickering, "I'm a bartender, and he's... on entertainment duty. He talks to his dad about me, sure, but the news he gives is _pretty_ heavily edited, for my safety and comfort."

"You're a bartender?"

"Yep," she sighed, tossing back the rest of her drink in a way that was almost show-off-esque, "Yet another thing his father doesn't approve of."

"Why wouldn't he? Bartending isn't a glamorous job, but it certainly pays well enough, doesn't it?"

"I mean-- it's not really the pay he's worried about," Janna groaned, standing up to refill her glass and stretching slightly, letting out a little squeak which shot warmth into Alistair's core, "And although he doesn't know what his son _really_ does to pay the bills, suffice it to say that he knows that we're good friends, and that _I'm_  not ashamed of talking about where I work. Need a top off?"

"No," he waved her away, scooting forward in his seat, "But what do you mean by that?"

"He's more worried about the clientele I work with," She sighed, returning with her fresh drink, "I work at The Pearl, on Denerim."

Alistair quirked an eyebrow, "the strip club?"

"Yeah," she shrugged, "I tend bar on weeknights, when it tends to be a little slower. I don't dance, but the uniform is a little on the scantily clad side. Helps with tips."

He suppressed a grin, but only barely, "And when you say that Nate is the _entertainment_...?"

"I mean he's a dancer, yes," She answered flatly.

"And _that_ is just terrific," he laughed, "The image alone--"

"Hey, you don't know what Nate looks like," She interrupted, "It could be surprisingly sexy, even to a guy like you."

"I'm sorry-- I'm just imaging the man I met this evening--" Alistair continued to laugh, "But you think it could be sexy, _even to a guy like me_?"

"It could be, if that's what you're _into_ ," She countered with a smirk.

Suddenly she realized how close her face was to his. They'd managed to inch closer together as they'd bantered and suddenly she could feel the alcohol rushing through her system. Thoughts were crossing her mind now-- _dirty thoughts, about how it might feel to lap down the muscular column of his neck, and bite down just hard enough to make his--_

"Are you okay? Your face is kind of red..."

"Oh-- Yeah, just the drinks catching up with me," she scrunched her eyes shut tightly in embarrassment, "I'm feeling a bit light headed."

"Here," He managed to scoot even closer to her, the heady scent of his cologne and heated skin fully enveloping her senses, "Have some of my water."

"Oh, no, it's fine, I--" Suddenly, rubber wheels grinding on the pavement outside sent Janna into a frenzy, "-- _Shit!_ "


	3. The Wardens

"What?" Alistair jumped to his feet as Janna did the same, putting her hands squarely on his back and pushing him toward a staircase behind them, "What's going on?"

"My roommates are home, and it's after nine! They have a strict no 'date-mates after hours' policy, and if they catch you here with me I'm going to be in _huge_  trouble! I'm talking _my_ tips going into the grocery, electric, and water bills for a month trouble! Now _come on_!"

"Date-mate?" He uttered in confusion, feeling her hands just beneath his shoulder blades as she urged him up the narrow stairwell to the second floor.

"Out of respect for one of our roommates, Shayle, we use gender inclusive language, that-- _Maker, I don't have time to explain right now_  go go go!"

She practically forced him up the last few steps before pushing him hard into her room, where he fell to the floor with a thud. She shut the door as carefully as she could, though it seemed her roommates still heard the ruckus.

"Janna, are you home? It sounded like something fell--"

"Yeah," Janna called through gritted teeth, her eyes flashing toward Alistair wordlessly willing him to be silent, "It was me. I was getting up and apparently my leg was asleep. Just lost my balance holding some books,"

the statement sounded so silly, she thought for a moment they might not believe it.

"Ok then," Janna could hear the sigh in one of the voices that told her they just might have bought it, "Do you need me to come and help you up?"

"No, no--" She protested, "I'll be down in a second."

" _Down?!_ " Alistair mouthed, only to catch a severe look and a pantomimed statement that loosely paraphrased to something along the lines of, _I-have-to! If-I-don't-it'll-look-all-the-more-suspicious!_

He shrugged, giving up trying to reason with her-- it was clear that a month of her tips was important, and truth be told, he didn't particularly want to be found by her roommates, date-mate policy or no-- that would just add to the weirdness that was this night. Unfortunately, at the moment, that meant him being left in her room with a vow of silence and no clear end to wait time.

And apparently paper-thin walls.

"Welcome back Leli, Morrigan," Janna groaned loudly, "I must have been caught in a zone studying when you got home. I drowned my sorrows when I got back, and apparently studying after a few drinks doesn't do much to help one's concentration."

"How did your dinner go?" a thick orlesian accent bounced through the floorboards to his ears.

"Awful," Janna sighed, giving Alistair's chest a surprising little twinge, "Not only did I get stood up again, but Uncle Rendon decided to try and be the biggest pain in the ass yet-- he practically threatened to drag me home kicking and screaming this time."

"Perhaps your flirting isn't quite as good as you'd thought,"

Alistair could hear the smirk in this voice, and he didn't think he liked it.

"Morrigan! How terrible," the same Orlesian accent commented, "You said this one had been particularly attractive, too."

 _Attractive, huh?_   "Shall I find him, and kick his ass for you?" the one called Morrigan interjected.

Alistair snorted.

"I could come for backup," the other girl added, "You know I always keep a knife handy..."

He stopped snorting.

"Leliana!" Janna nearly laughed aloud in surprise, "No! And, no-- Morrigan, it's fine. I think I can fight my own battles. We have a class together, so I'll confront him then. Who knows, maybe something came up, and I could get a real date out of it this time-- One that _doesn't_ include my Uncle immediately telling him he's not good enough to be with me."

"Right, save that line for when he meets us," Morrigan said, her voice dripping with honey.

"huh," Janna snorted, while Alistair rolled his eyes, allowing himself to tune out the rest of their conversation. His eyes were drawn instead to the dozens of knickknacks stored around Janna's room.

A picture frame, with a photo of what he assumed was her family, _including the mother and father who'd passed away in her teen years_. Each parent had a hand on their daughter's shoulders, beaming with pride as her brother held up a sign behind them.

_Happy 15th Birthday, Janna_

He tore his eyes away from the happy family photo, feeling as though he may be trespassing on memories he wasn't meant to see, only to move on to another group image-- this one most likely from her work.

A strawberry blonde man in a tight corset and fishnets beaming widely, next to a roguish brunette with a soft smile and a gray g-string-- _presumably Nathaniel Howe._ Both men were hanging lovingly off of Janna's shoulders, surrounded by another three or four conspicuous characters, including a warm-skinned blonde woman with tribal facial tattoos, a man with a thick red beard and a surprisingly equal amount of chest hair, and a very small woman with a skull tattoo wreathed around her cheekbones.

 _Maker, what a ragtag bunch she must work with_ , he couldn't help but think to himself.

Still, he caught himself pondering the wide, genuine grin she had in the photo. It was strangely infectious-- as if she was laughing herself right off the page, having the time of her life.

That's what had originally drawn him to her-- more than the over-the-top way she'd approached him, was the all too honest reaction he'd received when he'd nodded, dumbstruck to her request-- like she'd gotten away with something, and was entirely too pleased with herself. It'd made him grin, and he hadn't stopped until Rendon Howe entered the picture.

Now, when it was clear the girl needed his help, he knew he'd do anything he could to make it alright. Maker, it scared him how much he might do to help her.  
  
The door creaked open behind him, and he wheeled around far too quickly. Janna looked up at him with an amused glance, but said nothing before closing the door behind her. Silently, she stepped over to her bed and opened her laptop, queuing up a movie and putting the volume up nice and high, before at last speaking.

"I told them I'd be watching a movie and calling Nate to chew him out about his father's constant questioning, so we should have some time to come up with a strategy on how to get you out. Also, were you snooping just now?"

Alistair's ears turned crimson as he attempted to deflect the question, "How are we going to get me out of here? They're both still downstairs, aren't they?"

Janna smirked, "Yes, but one of their rooms is also downstairs. Morrigan's room is across the hall from me, and Leliana and Shayle are downstairs."

Deciding to fight back, Alistair put on his best smug face and simply said, "So, how many other guys did you try to trick into dinner?"

She didn't seem to be distracted, "A few. Does it matter?"

"And you think I'm attractive, huh?"

He took more joy in the way her smirk dropped momentarily than he cared to admit.

"Remind me to never say it again-- it apparently makes you _so_ smarmy," came her reply, "Now come on-- Heads together. How can we smuggle you back out?"

"Wait until they're asleep?"

"Right. Why didn't I think of that?" Janna palmed her forehead, "Though Maker knows when that will be."

"We can... Wait..." Alistair trailed off, sitting down on the bed beside her, "What is this?"

" _Wardens of the Grey: In Peace, Vigilance_?"

"Miss Cousland, do you mean to tell me that you've already seen _In War, Victory_?"

She snorted, "Only like, a hundred times. Plus, _In Death, Sacrifice._  No big deal, but I'm kind of a huge fan of the Wardens series. Why?"

Alistair feigned wiping a tear from his cheek, "Everyone I've ever tried to show this series to has told me it is boring and cheesy. _I think I'm in love._ "

"Same here!" Janna squealed, though she glossed over the _love_ comment, "But, who ever said cheesy was a bad thing?"

"No one," Alistair sighed happily, "Cheesy happens to be my favorite."

"It's only about a quarter of the way through, want to watch the rest together?"

"Why not? We've got time to kill," he shrugged, and let her get situated to actually watch the movie.

 

Alistair found himself awaking a few hours later, the movie having run it's course, and Janna having cuddled to his chest, her sleeping form nestled between him and a large orange pillow. he attempted to ease her down into a more comfortable position in the bed, and when she finally slumped over and lay out, he began to move to the floor himself; after all, as good as it felt to have someone so warm so near, he felt that she may not agree with his reasoning come morning.

Still, when she mumbled into the darkness, it caught him off guard.

"Wait, don't go... The bed's cold without you."

"Oh...Kay then..."

In his drowsy state, Alistair wasn't sure what the right move was here. He lay down beside her, his back pressed firmly against the wall in the small bed. Awkwardly, he shifted a few throw-pillows between them before gingerly putting his arm over her shoulder. This seemed to sate her, however, and as she rolled over, she nestled her face into his chest once more.

"Thanks... Gilmore," She murmered.

  
Alistair's heart jumped.

_Who the fuck is Gilmore?_


	4. Decisions, decisions and friends in low places

Janna awoke to Alistair's breath softly hitting her face. Hazily she attempted to piece together how they'd ended up in this situation, when, in his sleep, his brow crinkled and he stirred slightly, the shirtless man's arm wrapped around her waist pulling him closer to her.

Her heart skipped a beat for a moment, feeling the warmth of him pressed up against her. _Not a bad feeling at all, when you think about it..._

However, she suddenly realized the gravity of the situation.

"Alistair-- Alistair! What are you--" Janna hissed quietly, "Wake up, you--!"

He groaned loudly, stretching in response.

"Shhhhhhhh--- quiet down, Andraste's flaming--" Janna continued to whisper, her hands threading up to clamp over his mouth, which caused his eyes to shoot open in surprise. He blinked for a moment, acclimating to the soft morning sunlight as Janna grimaced at him.

"---Fuck! What happened?! I thought the plan was for you to go home last night after the movie?!" she continued whispering angrily.

"I-- I was about to, but you told me to stay, so I--" He protested, the statement ending with a huge yawn, "Maker's breath, I need coffee..."

A mirthless laugh greeted that, "Yeah-- there's _no_ way in hell I asked you to spend the night."

Alistair propped himself up on one elbow, giving her a troubled look, "What? I-- Janna, no, I swear on Andraste-- I thought you asked me for you to stay, so I did. Look, I even put in some modesty pillows," He pulled back the covers to reveal a few-- now, very misshapen-- cushions he'd haphazardly crammed between them before their sleep.

"Urghhhhh," Janna groaned, leaning back onto her pillow in frustration, "Andraste's tit's-- Fine, I get it. Apparently this was my bad, okay? But I have to go--- I have to go to work in like, an hour, and _you_  need to get out of the house before the others see you. I'm not sure who's on and who's off today, so let me scout first--"

"I'm... I'm sorry-- Are you seriously _that_ upset about this?" Alistair asked, tension pulling at his voice.

"Yes-- No, I don't know!"

She paused, running a hand through her hair and looking up to the ceiling for a beat, "I get it, it was an innocent mistake and nothing happened, but--"

Janna went silent for a moment, contemplating.

At last, she sighed, pulling herself to her feet decidedly, "No. No, I'm not that mad. It just... complicates things-- _by a lot_ , that's all. I can deal with complications, but usually they're on my terms."

"I'm sorry," Alistair offered, his shoulders suddenly seeming to engulf his neck in shame and embarrassment, "Like I said, I only stayed because I thought you wanted me to--"

"It's fine," Janna interjected sharply, "Just... I'm-- I'm gonna go scout around downstairs and start a pot of coffee. I'll be right back. And,  _put your shirt on!_ "

She took off without another word, leaving Alistair feeling strangely vulnerable. _Had he truly done something so wrong by staying?_

_And, wait-- when did he take his shirt off?_

  
A few minutes later, Janna returned with a small, embarrassed smile on her face, "It's safe. I looked everywhere I could think, even the garden, and I think they're all gone."

She paused, distracted as he stood staring back at her, before she shook her head and retained her focus, "why are you _still not dressed?_ come on!"

"Ah! Sorry, alright," he sighed, slipping his shirt uncomfortably over his head as he followed her back down the stairs, muffling himself in the process, "I'll let myself out the back door... Do you mind if I take a cup of coffee to go with--"

"Well, well. What have we here?"

Morrigan's golden eyes glinted as she folded her arms gently over the back of the couch she sat on, her plum lips pulling into a delicately tickled smile.

Janna drew a breath through clenched teeth, cursing under her breath, "Fuck."

"You must be Morrigan," Alistair sighed, putting a hand on Janna's shoulder, almost defensively.

_She couldn't tell if he was begging for her protection or attempting to give her some of his own. Perhaps it was a bit of both._

"I am... And since you know that, am I to assume that you could hear me as well as I could hear you, last night, or is there another reason you know of me?" She asked, the catlike smirk on her lips only amplified in her voice.

"Janna's told me a bit about you," Alistair said, thinking on his feet, "and, about how you were supposed to be at work by now."

"Oh? Then I assume you know she's supposed to have left by now, too-- or has that been overlooked?"

"Shit--" Janna bolted toward the door, throwing herself on her ass to put her boots on and shouting over her shoulder to Alistair, "Coffee's in the pot, cups are over the sink, I've got to go, so--"

"I'll drop you off," Alistair sighed, tearing his eyes away from Morrigan's bemused glance, "Let me do this, at least. Don't worry about the coffee, I'll pick some up later-- Here, take a jacket--"

"Nice try, that one's mine," Morrigan outright laughed as Alistair reached out to pluck a black leather coat from the hook on the wall, freezing mid movement in embarrassment, "Her's is the maroon one. And, sorry Janna-- you know the rule. Anyone caught with a... special guest, has to put in their tips. no exceptions."

"You're _No Fun_ , Morrigan!" Janna yelled, slamming the front door loudly behind her as she ran and climbed onto the seat of Alistair's bike, hooking the helmet in a huff. He followed after her quickly, climbing on and starting it in one fluid motion. She locked her arms around him tightly, ignoring the same warm feeling in her stomach from the morning, and yelled the directions in his ear as they took off.

  
When at last they arrived, she looked at her phone, marvelling for a moment, "That shaved 30 minutes off my commute, nice going!"

"I was just glad to get out of there," Alistair shrugged, "That girl is a---"

"Morrigan isn't that bad," Janna cut in, "She just wasn't socialized enough as a child. She doesn't mean to be rude, she's just... snarky."

He gave a half hearted laugh, looking away for a moment as he pocketed his keys, "Snarky. Right. I'll have to remember that one... No, hey where are you--"

"I'm going inside," Janna had begun to turn and walk toward the club as he looked back, "Thanks for the ride! We'll talk soon, alright?"

"Wait," he put a hand out toward her shoulder to pause her-- until a burly man came up beside him and grappled his wrist tightly.

"This kid giving you a hard time, Janna?"

"Wha-- Janna?! Who--"

the amused grin on Janna's face was covered quickly by mock concern as she looked at the man who came to her rescue-- the club's bouncer, Sten; a surly and most serious Qunari.

"Sten, you saw us ride in together-- Are you really gonna hassle him?"

"You never know with Ferelden's," came Sten's disapproving reply, though he released Alistair's wrist, "I'll see you inside?"

"Sure. Let me handle this guy. He's a real toughie," She nodded jokingly, giving Sten a pinch on the cheek, which he responded to with a grimace and a slapping away of her hand, "just like you. Thanks, Sten."  
  
"What the hell was that?" Alistair asked, thoroughly flustered as the big man disappeared into the dim club.

Janna shrugged, "Sten? He's our bouncer-- He's always been super protective of our staff, even though he says he hates anyone from Ferelden... Like's our dogs, though."

"And he thought I--" Alistair paled a bit, stopping mid-sentence, "I'd never--"

"I know, _cupcake_ ," Janna shook her head, chuckling to herself, "That's why I told him I'd handle it. Now, what's on your mind?"

"Right... I just-- we never--" Alistair attempted to regain his composure, and gather his thoughts, "We didn't really talk about what we were going to do-- after the whirlwind that was our date, then last night--"

"Hey, nothing happened last night," Janna cut in defensively.

"No-- I know, nothing happened. but... I wanted to ask-- what if we didn't <have> to tell your uncle...?"

"What, we don't tell him we're _not_ getting married? What would that do for us?"

"Think about how pissed off he'd be if he didn't get invited to the wedding," Alistair shrugged, "Plus, I've got some of my own people who would _really_ be irked about not being invited to something that big."

"That's--"

"I could help you get your roommates off your back about not being able to have datemates--" he stumbled over the wording for a moment, but found himself again, "Or _whoever_ over... You're a grown woman, after all. Shouldn't you be free to date as you see fit?"

Janna considered for a moment, but didn't quite know how to respond.

"This is crazy! What do you even _get_ out of this arrangement?"

"A lot more than you might think," Alistair shrugged bashfully, "a pissed off uncle, some friends getting off my back about, quote, _finally getting laid_ , and... well-- Look, Janna... I don't expect you to actually want to date me after this whole fiasco, but you seem like a really nice girl, and we've got a lot in common! Maybe we could become good friends."

her heart jumped a bit at his commentary, _So he doesn't really seem like he wants to date, huh?_

she shooed it away, however, _that doesn't fucking matter-- he wants to be friends. We can do that, right? Be friends?_

"Friends, huh?"

"Only if you want to be. We can do a lot of damage together," He grinned, quietly adding, "Or have a hell of a lot of fun."

"Alright, Alistair. Let's do it. Let's fake a wedding together, and piss off our relatives," she nodded, "Now come inside. coffee and a dance, on me."


	5. Foul Play

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooo NSFW ahoy warning

"Alistair, is that you?"  
  
Cullen's voice carried across the apartment as Alistair opened the door, hunching to pull off his boots as he gave a reply, "Who else would it be?"  
  
"And what have you been doing?" He could hear the chuckle in his roommate's voice, "If I understand correctly, it sort of seems like you didn't come home last night."  
  
"Well," Alistair attempted to beat around the bush before giving up, "I _didn't_ come home last night. But--" He cut in before the other could make a snide remark, "It isn't what you think!"  
  
"Your date didn't go well, then?"  
  
"Boy, have I got a story for you," Alistair groaned, flopping down on the couch beside Cullen heavily, prompting the blonde to pause his game at last.

  
  
"Wow, that has got to be the _worst_ first date story I've ever heard," Cullen laughed, once Alistair had said his piece, "I mean-- sleeping over, after she _called you someone else's name._ "  
  
"hey, you make it sound so _dirty_ ," Alistair said, almost sounding hurt.  
  
"Wish that it was!" Cullen chuckled, earning a punch in the arm, "Fine, fine, sorry... But, tell me-- after all this, where are you standing?"  
  
"I don't actually know," Alistair sighed, carding a hand through his hair, "I mean... This girl's incredible! Spunky, quick, really hot-- and yet..."  
  
"She bought you coffee and a lap-dance," Cullen raised an eyebrow, giving Alistair a knowing look.  
  
"Yeah... Worst part was I couldn't take my eyes off her, even when I was getting said lap-dance," Alistair groaned, "Am I nuts-- for going along with all this?"  
  
"Going along with it?" Cullen snorted, "You suggested taking it one step further!"  
  
"Yep. Yep, I did, didn't I?"   
  
"I'd say you're in deep, my friend," Cullen said, with a sympathetic hand on Alistair's shoulder, "But I understand if it's just an opportunity to take the wind out of Eamon's sails."  
  
"What did Mr. Guerrin do now?" Alistair groaned, letting Cullen un-pause his game and continue as he spoke.  
  
"He picked another fight with Director Mac Tir, claiming you'd be better off if you took over the project. As usual."  
  
"Fuuuuck," Alistair moaned, staring up at the ceiling, "He's gonna get me canned if he keeps doing this-- he does know that, doesn't he?"  
  
"I'd wager he does-- won't necessarily stop him, though, will it?"  
  
"How bad did it get?"  
  
"Teagan stepped in before it got much worse, but I'd say you're on thin ice, at least for the next little while-- he was pissed you didn't come in today and offer an apology, even though you weren't on the schedule."  
  
"Ugh, I'll go in tomorrow," Alistair answered, "Make up some sort of excuse, I guess."  
  
"Good. Better to get it over with," Cullen nodded, "Hey, when are you going to see _her_ again?"  
  
"I don't know," Alistair confessed, "We share a class, so probably at least once a week, right?"  
  
His roommate shrugged, "Sounds about right-- but no formal plans beyond that?"  
  
"No, why?"  
  
Cullen shrugged, "I don't know-- you just seemed eager to keep in contact, that's all..."  
  
"We'll figure it out," Alistair said curtly, standing up and walking to his room without another word.  
  
"Where are you going-- I'm trying to help you!"

 

  
  
Alistair ignored the baiting phrase, heading into his room and closing the door. He dug his phone out of his pocket before laying down on his bed, contemplating.  
  
[Janna     8:55 PM]

  
after a moment, he began to type,

  
[Me     8:56 PM]  
[Get home safe?]  
  
before promptly deleting it, and throwing his arms over his head.

Anything that came to mind just sounded stupid-- like he was trying too hard, and that was the last thing he wanted.  
  
He sat up for a moment, pulling his laptop off the bedside table beside him, and loaded up the third warden movie, IN DEATH, SACRIFICE. As the theme score began to play, he pulled up his messaging application once more.  
  
[Me     8:58 PM]  
[started watching In Death, Sacrifice. Thanks for the reminder of how awesomely bad it is.]  
  
  
The speed with which she replied startled him,  
  
[Janna    9:01 PM]  
[whaaaat??]  
[What part are you on?]  
  
[Me     9:01 PM]  
[like I said, just started.]   
[Why?]  
  
[Janna 9:02 PM]  
[I just finished studying for the night-- pause it! let's sync up and watch it at the same time!]  
  
Alistair felt himself blush, heat filling his ears as he imagined them watching together again, before he shook his head, gently reminding himself that they were supposed to be just friends. Whoever that _Gilmore_ guy was, she was likely more interested in having _him_ in her bed again, than Alistair.

_Maybe he was there with her, now._

 

 _No,_ Alistair shook the thought away, _even if he was, who cares? Not like she's mine to have. We're friends._

He decided instead to tease her.  
  
[Me     9:05 PM]  
[promise you won't fall asleep on me during?]  
[again, I mean]  
  
[Janna     9:05 PM]  
[Rude.]  
[Also, dirty.]   
[but, I promise.]  
[What's the timestamp you're at?]  
  
He groaned halfheartedly to himself. _was she trying to flirt?_  
  
[Me     9:06 PM]  
[DD:]   
[i'm at 00:05:41]   
[all paused up and waiting on you]  
  
  
A few minutes of tense silence passed as Alistair waited on a reply, until at last his phone went off.  
  
[Janna     9:11 PM]  
[Okay. Synced. let's start exactly at 9:12.]  
  
[Me     9:11 PM]  
[deal.]  
  


  
  
   
 They texted back and forth for a while watching the movie, until one scene in particular came up; one that Alistair had almost forgotten about entirely.  
  
The Warden Commander, a brave, sexy and cocky woman, approached her handsome right-hand man, who in the scene before had confessed his undying love to her amidst a bloody battle against a Darkspawn ogre. It had taken her by surprise, but in this scene she found him alone in a dark, stone stairwell, and she corners him, telling him that she loves him back. they share a passionate, heated kiss which quickly turns into a long, raunchy sex scene.   
  
Alistair watched in silence, his eyes darting between his phone and the screen, wondering if he should say something. he broke at last, sending a quick text.  
  
[Me    10:25 PM]  
[whoops! forgot that scene was in this one]  
  
The sensual moans of the Warden Commander made heat pool in his abdomen as his mind flashed back to the first kiss he'd shared with Janna-- the way she'd coaxed his tongue into her mouth-- so gentle, yet forward. His cock twitched slightly.  
  
 _Easy now_ , he scolded himself. His phone buzzed.  
  
[Janna     10:28 PM]  
[Oh no, shield my maidenly eyes]  
[Not like I work at a strip club]  
[and thus am familiar with sex work or anything]  
[;P]  
  
[Me     10:29 PM]  
[Oh]  
[Right]  
  
[Janna     10:30 PM]  
[You don't think that's hot though?]  
[confessing your love, then taking what you need once you know that's what the other person wants, too?]  
  
  
The conversation was getting a little blue, and truth be told, so was Alistair. When was the last time he'd done _anything?_  
  
[Me     10:31 PM]  
[yeah, I guess it is]  
[doesn't make watching it happen with a friend any less awkward, though]  
  
 _Especially when you think that friend is the hottest person you've seen in a while,_ he groaned inwardly.  
  
[Janna     10:32 PM]  
[Awww, is Alistair embarrassed???]  
[I can feel the blush radiating through the phone]  
  
[Me     10:33 PM]  
[Shut up]  
  
He tossed his phone away grumpily, pulling a pillow over his warm cheeks, sighing into it heavily.  
  
It wasn't his fault he was brought up Andrastian-- the orphanage he lived in made sure to repress any sort of sexual urges as soon as they arose. There was a shame to it that he didn't feel in Janna's free nature, and he couldn't help but feel just the slightest bit envious. Still, now she had him thinking about sex, and it wouldn't stop.   
  
The scene continued on his computer, and as the lover's passionate scene peaked to a new height, he let his mind wander to Janna's form once again.  
  
She was average height, with large breasts and hips that gave her an hourglass figure. He remembered the low-cut black top she'd worn on their date, and how when she'd leaned against the brick wall of the restaurant, she'd hugged herself close and gave herself ample cleavage. He remembered the kiss, savoring every sense and sound as he played it back in his head-- the brush of her breasts against his chest as she wrapped her arms around him-- the scent of her perfume lingering on his clothes-- He looked around his room for a moment, pausing the movie and locating the shirt from the day before, balling it up in his fist and pressing it to his face, attempting to pick up her scent once more-- faint, but there, mingled with his own.  
  
He remembered the feel of her body against his as he'd spent the night, her face nestled against his chest as her sleeping breath caressed him-- the way she'd felt when he hugged her close that morning, bathed in morning sunlight.  
  
He was hard now, and could resist the urge no longer. One of his hands rid the line of his chest down his torso, over his soft belly, and down to the button on the fly of his jeans. He undid them quickly, his other hand dropping the shirt momentarily as he released himself to the cool night air, beginning to set a lazy pace as he gathered the t-shirt close to his face again, using it to muffle the sounds of his own groans.  
  
This was shameful, and dirty, and altogether probably frowned upon-- but in the moment, he couldn't stop. Alistair fucked his hand slowly at first, increasing his rhythm and becoming more and more hot and bothered as he imagined a scene play out-- suddenly she was the warden commander, and he, her right-hand man-- her soldier, devout and ready to fuck her good. He imagined pinning her against the cool wall, hoisting her up into his lap, her legs latching around his hips as he eased her up onto his shaft.   
  
"Fuck--" He groaned, louder than he'd intended, forcing a knuckle into his mouth as he continued his fury-filled pace.   
  
The scene changed for him as he swapped positions, overcome by the moment-- grabbing one of his pillows and balling it up in front of him, he threw the shirt over top and lay forward, rutting against it like a wild animal. His phone went off in the corner where he'd thrown it, and in his reckless abandon, he opted to ignore it for the moment.  
  
He was getting closer by the moment, and all he wanted was to topple over the edge-- he imagined kissing her once again, his hands falling to her soft breasts, teasing and tantalizing her until she called his name. His hands gripped her hips, pulling her flush to himself before falling to her dripping lips, and--  
  
"Janna--" He groaned, trying to stifle his own voice once again, "Fuck, fuck-- Ah--"  
  
He bit down on his fingers again, throwing his head back and groaning as he rode the edge as long as he could.

His phone went off again as he came undone.  
  
He collapsed on the bed as his phone began to ring loudly.   
  
Once.  
  
Twice.  
  
Three times.  
  
Four times.  
  
Voicemail.


	6. misunderstandings are a bitch, aren't they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha long time no see, huh guys

Fucking hell.

He'd be lying if he said that this was how he’d hoped to start his day.

Alistair awoke draped over his dirtied shirt and pillow, his cheek smeared with what he’d hoped was drool. Sunlight streamed into the window of his bedroom, which caused him to sit bolt upright. What time was it? Didn’t he have something important he needed to get done today? Things immediately felt off as he got to his feet and collected his phone, along with a change of clothes and headed into the bathroom.

10 o'clock. He had four new voicemails.

One from Janna— his heart jumped to his throat. He didn’t let himself listen to it, not yet.

Another was from his uncle, Eamon, which he elected to ignore.

Finally, two were from his company Director, Loghain Mac Tir.

He suddenly felt sick for far different reasons.

——

“You’re late,” Director Mac Tir growled when Alistair nervously entered his office. He didn’t spare more than a glance for the younger man, however, instead opting to bury his nose in paperwork as he continued angrily, “I thought you were supposed to be on the site, today.”

“Well, I—“

Loghain wasn’t looking for a response, defensive or otherwise.

“That’s enough. Just because you’re Maric’s bastard, and Cailan's gone-- doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want on a job site!”

Alistair found himself shrinking back when the other man spoke, like a dog. He hated himself for it.

He opted to nod in response, rather than taking Loghain’s bait, which seemed to suit him well enough, for the moment.

“I’m swapping you to the roofing team from now until I tell you you’re done. Remind your uncle, AGAIN, that this is MY construction crew— not his, and _definitely_  not yours.”

“Yes sir,” Alistair forced through gritted teeth, eager to simply be done with the conversation, “I’ll be sure to tell him exactly that.”

“Don’t sass me, boy,” the older man sneered, “now, get out of my sight. I don’t want to hear about you causing trouble again.”

Alistair turned and walked out without another word, though his mind was running a mile a minute.

_I never said it was MY site. I don’t even want this job, let alone to manage my own crew!_

His phone rang again as he stomped out of the building. He answered without thinking, or looking, his voice drenched in irritability.

“What?” He snapped.

“Sorry— I just—“ Janna backpedaled, floundering helplessly as she received the brunt of his misplaced anger.

_Shit. That hadn’t been his intent, at all._

Then the night before’s events flooded back to him. He turned red from head to toe, suddenly tongue-tied and utterly ashamed.

“— I’ll, I’ll just talk to you later, okay?” She continued, quietly.

“No, Janna—“

But she’d already hung up.

He felt like a complete idiot, now, and the day was just getting started.

 

Fortunately he had enough time on the job to clear his head, at least slightly, before Eamon miraculously appeared, carrying a sack lunch that looked suspiciously like a bribe to Alistair. He finished dropping off a heavy load of shingles up the ladder and was making his way back down when Eamon cleared his throat loudly.

Alistair resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

His feet touched ground just as Eamon spoke, “A shame, that my only nephew would ignore me when all I’m trying to do is help him. I remember when I didn’t have to leave messages through a middle man for you. Some day Cullen will get sick of delivering them, you know.”

“And what a blessed day that will be,” Alistair snorted in reply.

“This is not a laughing matter, my boy,” Eamon cautioned tersely.

“No, Uncle, but since this shouldn’t be _a matter_ at all,"

What little patience he'd garnered was gone, it seemed.

“I'd prefer to pretend to laugh at it. After all, your _help_  got me chewed out by my boss,” he snapped, "Damn it-- I didn’t ask you to do anything in the first place.”

“Now Alistair, this company was your family’s business! With Cailan gone, it falls to you to--“

“Uncle!” He interrupted Eamon firmly, “I didn't even know Cailan-- or my father, for that matter... I don’t want to have this conversation right now. Or ever. Again. Come have lunch with me, if that’s what you’re here for, but I’ve got a lot on my mind at the moment, so—“

Eamon Guerrin scoffed, “A lot on your mind— like what?”

Alistair fumbled his words, “W-well—“

As if on cue, a dark head of hair bobbed into view, tentatively, carrying a full picnic basket while being shown around by his roommate. Alistair’s stomach turned to water.

_Janna._

What was she doing here? How did she know where he worked? He was almost happy to see her, except—

His ears burned in embarrassment; _except the last time he interacted with her, he’d blown her off because he'd been thinking about her while masturbating. Like a total horndog._

He wanted to run and hide, but she’d already spotted him.

Coward.

“There he is,” Cullen smiled triumphantly, clearly enjoying the idea of what was about to happen, “I knew the director wouldn’t just toss him out on his ass.”

“R-right, thank you Cullen,” she nodded, attempting to smile.

It was clear that she was uncomfortable, however. Their eyes met briefly.

“Hey,” she quipped, mustering a slightly stronger, but still guilty smile.

“Hey,” he answered, looking away and rubbing his neck awkwardly.

“Can we talk?”

"Uh, sure..." He managed to conjure up in reply, turning to where most of the workers usually took their breaks; it looked blissfully empty from where he stood. Eamon watched on in confused silence.

"Come on, let's step inside."

Janna nodded, her mouth suddenly dry.

Eamon cleared his throat, in the same irritating way he did when he felt he was being ignored. In this case, he wasn't wrong, but Alistair opted to just keep moving. What's the worst that could happen-- Eamon could abandon him when he wasn't useful _again_?

  
His brief scouting appeared to be correct; the break room was blissfully empty, save for Cullen, Alistair and Janna now. Eamon had attempted to follow them, sputtering loudly, when Cullen barred his path, interjecting, "The _young lovers_ need a moment, Eamon. Can you give him some time? Maybe go see what Teagan's doing?"

Eamon hadn't liked that; the idea that the two were  _young lovers_  seemed to nearly set him off outright-- but begrudgingly, he admitted that he did need to review some paperwork with Teagan about an upcoming project. He snapped that he'd be back within fifteen short minutes, to give Alistair another piece of his mind.

Fifteen minutes. Cullen hoped that was enough to sort through whatever was going on; the girl had seemed very serious when she'd shown up on the job site, glancing up and down until she found a foreman who directed her to him. After all, Alistair was his roommate; that made sense, right.

She was dressed in black once again, her hair and makeup impeccably done up-- no detail out of place. She'd been flirtatious, but not overly so, when engaging him in conversation as they walked. It honestly seemed practiced, but when she mentioned looking for the blonde's housemate, she'd faltered ever so slightly.

Then she'd fallen into worried silence, when he reported that he hadn't seen Alistair yet that day. What had she been worried about?

Cullen shrugged to himself; he was sure that Alistair would fill him in eventually.

* * *

"So..."

"So...?" Alistair sat on the bench of a metal picnic table, while Janna had pulled herself up onto the tabletop itself. She set the basket down beside her and hugged her knees to her chest, settling her sharp chin down on the exposed flesh between the rips in her jeans.

"I'm confused," He confessed.

She looked up at him, surprise blooming on her features, not saying a word.

"How did you find out where I work? And-- what in the Maker's name are you doing here?"

Janna looked at the ground sheepishly, unable to meet his gaze. Even so, she offered him as nonchalant a shrug as she could manage, "Things ended weirdly between us, last night. The last thing I heard from you was _Shut up_ , and then--- nothing. I thought I pissed you off by making jokes at your expense. I felt... really bad, and I wanted to make it up to you. So-- here,"

Oh.

_OH._

Alistair was flabbergasted. What could he say, after that honest admission? _No, no, I just stopped texting you because I jacked off-- to the idea of you, no less-- and fell asleep? He'd come off as a total creep!_

Janna paid his internal monologue no mind, however, as she pulled out an assortment of snacks and sandwiches from her basket, "I brought some cheese, some sandwiches-- another one of the bouncers, Oghren, has this great recipe for roast beef I tried to replicate-- and some drinks... Not sure how long you get for lunch, but--"

Alistair found himself putting a hand on her's, gently.

"You really didn't have to do all this," He said, his voice tinged with the awe he felt at the gesture, "I mean, this is like, the nicest thing anyone's done for me, after they unintentionally pissed me off, but--"

Janna's face dropped, "You _were_ mad, then..."

"No--no, I--" Alistair didn't know where he was going with his rebuttal, but it didn't matter, as Janna interrupted him again.

"It's okay to tell me, Alistair. I know I push people's buttons too hard sometimes, and it's okay to have boundaries. Just... please, don't cut me off if I cross them. That's... Hard for me to deal with..." She trailed off, clearly uncomfortable.

 _But you didn't--_ his conscience protested. He pushed it down, begging himself to take the easy out she was giving him.

"I... Okay. I'll tell you next time, if you do something that goes too far."

"Yeah?" Her smile was tinged with sadness still. It made his heart ache.

"Yeah," He promised, "I just... I'm not even that mad. I got kind of up in my own head after that, and then..." He carded a hand through his hair as he _somewhat_ admitted the truth, "I actually fell asleep. I was too embarrassed to text back this morning, since I gave you shit about falling asleep before, and then I had a  _really_ bad meeting with my boss this morning, not to mention when my uncle--"

"Was that who that was?" Janna asked, chuckling genuinely for the first time since her arrival. Alistair's belly warmed.

"Yeah," He laughed with her, quietly, "He's... Kind of the worst. He's a great guy, but wants me to be more ambitious than I am, and..."

"He seemed like kind of a dick," Janna snorted.

Alistair couldn't resist a loud laugh at that, "Okay, yeah, he is."

Janna couldn't resist asking one more time, "You promise you're not mad?"

"I promise," Alistair nodded, "I may be virginal and easily flustered, but rest assured, I do not offend easily."

Janna tried to swallow down her laughter at that; it didn't work. Instead, she crammed a large bite of sandwich into her mouth.

"Wow," She said, with her mouth full, in an attempt to move the conversation on, "This is _not_  great. Sorry about that."

It was then that Eamon Guerrin stormed into the breakroom, with Cullen hot on his heels.

"Are you quite done wasting my time, Alistair?"


	7. ((interim))

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, just a quick chapter addendum/leeway into the next big chapter!

Alistair stood next to Janna, his hand finding it’s way to the small of her back in his surprise.  In the chaos, Janna seemed to turn on her charm; leaning into him gently, she pretended to be caught in an intimate moment, her perfectly made up lips pursing in feigned surprise.

“U-Uncle,” Alistair began, as Cullen mouthed the word  _Sorry_ , “I hadn’t meant to waste your time. I just thought our conversation was done. Besides— Janna here had some concerns to talk over with me—“

“—about the wedding,” Janna finished for him, quickly. 

Eamon looked unimpressed, “ _you_ saying we’re done talking does not mean things are finished, Alistair— I’ve been like a father to you, and— And _what_ wedding?”

“Didn’t Alistair tell you...?” Janna asked, quietly, “We’re engaged...”

Eamon stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth agape and his brows crinkled as he attempted to process the statement. 

“That’s not a funny joke, Alistair.”

“Uncle Eamon!” Alistair shouted, feigning outrage fairly well, “why would I joke about this?”

“To wound an already ill old man,” Eamon said coldly, “who only ever wanted you to succeed— have you told Loghain? Does Anora know?!”

Janna’s ears perked up. _Anora?_

“Anora doesn’t care what I’m doing,” Alistair replies indignantly, “But honestly, it’s none of of their— or your— concern at the moment.” 

“Not my concern—“ Eamon sputtered, “That’s it, Alistair. You’re behaving like a child, and I refuse to talk about this any more. When you grow up and realize what a mistake this would be, _then_ we can talk about your future at CTI. _Like adults._ ”

Without another word, he turned tail and stomped away, leaving the other three in a stunned silence.

Alistair made the first noise, blowing all of the air out of his lungs in a loud, sustained groan, “Well, that was _fun_.”

His features implied quite the opposite, however. It seemed that in the end, riling up Eamon didn’t turn out to be as enjoyable as he’d hoped. He looked up to see Janna and Cullen exchanging glances. 

“Bit theatrical, don't you think?” Janna interjected, albeit stiffly. Alistair found himself shaking his head at that, his eyes closing as a small smirk formed on his lips.

“So... you’re getting married, huh? That’s exciting,” Cullen grinned, feeling the sullen atmosphere starting to lift. Janna nearly launched back into happy, fake fiancé mode, when Alistair put a hand on her shoulder, “don’t let him get you started— he already knows the truth.”

She looked between them incredulously, her digits subconsciously finding themselves laced between his broad fingers, “you told him? That’s no fun—“

Cullen quirked an eyebrow at the interaction; _interesting. Seems the trouble in paradise had cleared._

“Okay, well, now that that’s done, I should probably let you get back to work—“ Janna sighed, her fingers tensing between Alistair’s. 

He coughed, suddenly uncomfortably aware that they were connected, pulling his hand out from under her’s, “Right, I’m probably out of time, anyway.”

He turned to leave. 

“Wait, after all that, did you even get a chance to eat?” Janna called after him. 

He paused, grabbing what remained of her sandwich, and crammed it into his mouth, “Good Enough—“

And with that, he was on his way.

* * *

 

October came and had nearly gone by the time they’d finally sat down and attempted to began wedding talk, and in truth, they realized quickly that planning a wedding for cheap was immensely more difficult than either of them had initially thought. 

When they told Leliana and Morrigan about the nuptials, the two girls pulled the truth out of them, slowly but surely. It was only after after they finally admitted that it was first and foremost a ploy to get both side’s family members off their backs, that the others warmed up to Alistair, admitting that if nothing else, it <was> clever. Morrigan even helped out by reaching out to her mother, who granted them the use of her rustic, wooded cottage. It had a beautiful garden out front, with enough room for a gazebo and a small audience; it seemed almost too good to be true. 

Janna had to admit, too, she liked how much time the activity provided her with Alistair. He’d gone above and beyond to make it seem real to the outside world— even going so far as to present her with a little sterling silver ring. The stone in it was nothing more than colored glass, but the sentiment was still enough to make her blush inwardly. She knew she was falling for him— quicker by the minute, if she admitted it— but by now, she felt like she was locked in as a close friend. As such, he was begrudgingly allowed to spend nights now, and at least twice, Janna had awoken cradled in his muscular arms. He’d stopped worrying about the modestly pillows, too. Janna didn’t mind that— 

But, her heart _did_ give an involuntary little flutter every time he... rubbed up against her, in his sleep. She tried her best to ignore it.

She’d invited him back to the Pearl a few times, but he’d kindly declined enough to deter her from asking anymore. He still listened when she needed to vent about a particularly annoying customer or bad day, as she did the same for him.

Thus, she decided it was time for the house to host a party, and for Alistair to meet her other work friends. It was Halloween, after all, and probably past time for a pseudo engagement party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CTI - Calenhad Theirin Industries


End file.
